February 8, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



6g 



temperature descends to a dangerous degree, when removal 

 to a sunnygreenhousewillbe in order. In due time tlie flowers 

 will appear, provided the temperature is not allowed to fall be- 

 low forty-five degrees, Fahrenheit. This plant is also known 

 under the generic names Cyrtanthera and Justicia ; Jacobinia, 

 however, is now considered the proper one. 



CambridKe, Mass. M. Barker. 



Correspondence. 



Orchids at Short Hills, New Jersey. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Another Orchid season is at its height, and the annual 

 winter show was again held at the United States Nurseries last 

 week. It is well known that each succeeding Orchid exhibition 

 at Short Hills has been a distinct improvement on preceding 

 ones, but in no one year do Messrs. Pitcher & Manda seem to 

 have made a greater progress than in the year ending with the 

 present show. This was noticed, not alone in the larger num- 

 ber of plants and flowers and the increased number of species 

 and varieties, but in the ability to show important plants 

 gathered by the collectors of the establishment and flowering 

 for the first time, and not less important, in an increasing 

 number of seedling hybrids, some of rare beauty. Of course, 

 it is from the gatherings of special collectors and the constant 

 hybridization and raising of seedlings that such an establish- 

 ment maintains a front rank in the trade in these highly 

 esteemed plants. 



Last week, the flowering plants were massed in the main 

 Orchid houses on the hill-top, and so many were the flowers in 

 the range that the houses were fairly aglow with color in all 

 directions. Even the familiar Cypripedium house, with its 

 celebrated collection, had an air of refined gayety from its 

 very wealth of glistening, delicately marked flowers. This 

 collection, which is one of the most complete in existence, seems 

 to be continually growing, and, perhaps, has never been seen 

 in better condition. Mr. Manda exhibited several new hybrids 

 for the first time, last week, which certainly vied in beauty with 

 any of the established favorites. This does not seem to be the 

 place to describe new Cypripediums, but to convey some idea 

 of the extent of the collection it may be said that there were 

 219 species and varieties in flower during the week, probably 

 the largest number which ever bloomed at one time in any 

 single establishment. No doubt Messrs. Pitcher & Manda 

 would be glad to furnish a complete list of the names of this 

 remarkable group upon application for it. 



The number of striking and distinct forms of the use- 

 ful Cypripedium insigne was an interesting feature of the 

 exhibit, though in all directions were to be seen rare and 

 unique flowers of all sections. The next house was a 

 great contrast, with a large collection of Cattleya Perci- 

 vahana of the last year's collection, now first in flower. 

 There were numerous forms or colorings of these ; rare 

 whites and purples, from palest flush to the deep coloring 

 of the type. Probably all visitors stopped instinctively at the 

 entrance to the next house, for in this was displayed the gen- 

 eral collection of species in most bewildering profusion. The 

 eye was held at once by a plant of regal beauty, a white Cat- 

 tleya Trianag, with flowers of the finest form and largest size 

 and of perfect purity of color. One could well believe that this 

 was a specimen of the utmost rarity. This was one of a group 

 consisting also of Lycaste Skinneri alba, Laelia anceps alba, 

 white Cattleya Percivaliana and Saccolabium giganteum 

 album, the last said by Mr. Manda to be unique. Beyond this 

 remarkable collection of very valuable white Orchids were to 

 be seen flowers in confusing variety — Dendrobiums, Lycastes, 

 Angrascums, Calanthes, Epidendrums, Odontoglossums, Van- 

 das, etc., in many varieties. Cattleya Triance, of which a large 

 importation was housed near at hand, seemed but a dull 

 flower after so much bright color. One noticed as something 

 unusual that no attempt had been made to enhance the effect 

 of the Orchids by the foil of ioliage-plants, an experiment 

 which was decidedly successful, foreign foliage being seldom 

 entirely satisfactory with any flower. Some dark corners were 

 lightened up by masses of flowers such as Primula obconica, 

 Lily-of-the-valley, white Azaleas and Genistas, but otherwise 

 florists' flowers were not to be seen. However much hurried, 

 one cannot leave this nursery without a look at the Palm-house 

 and the lateral small houses filled with a wealth of foliage- 

 plants in endless variety. The house of Adiantum Farleyense 

 is especially pleasant to see. Tlie small forest of Tree Ferns, 

 with specimen Palms and plants, are soon to go to Chicago, 

 where the firm will make one of the principal exhibits in Hor- 

 ticultural Hall. I came across a house filled with specimen 



plants in immense pans, being prepared for the journey, and 

 I was forcibly struck by the fact that even the great floor-space 

 of Horticultural Hall would scarcely allow the arrangement for 

 bestefiect of the stock contained in the tropical houses here. 



The enlightened self-interest which induces Messrs. Pitcher 

 & Manda to exhibit flowers and plants on every available occa- 

 sion is to be much commended ; it must result in great benefit 

 to the general cause of horticulture, an interest which lags 

 probably as much from ignorance of what to grow as to the 

 indifference of the average citizen. Every floral show en- 

 lightens this ignorance, and to some extent arouses the indif- 

 ferent. 



Those very practical persons who consider horticulture a 

 failure without the production of edible crops must be inter- 

 ested in a novelty of the nursery in the way of a Potato with 

 variegated fojiage and tubers ot excellent quality. As seen 

 under glass, the plants were strong growers, and the leaves 

 finely mottled with white in the way of the variegated Box El- 

 der. This seems to open up a new field, and one can imagine 

 our practical friends growing their patches of variegated Pota- 

 toes, bordered, perhaps, by masses of ornamental Beets, and 

 pointing with pride to the happy combination of the useful 

 with the ornamental. 

 Elizabeth, N.J. J. N. G. 



White Pine in Massachusetts. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The following account of a plantation of White Pines 

 in Topsfield, Massachusetts, may be interesting to the readers 

 of Garden and Forest. 



The land on which it v/as made was a pasture containing 

 about twelve and one-fourth acres. The soil was a very poor 

 sandy loam, a small swamp-hole being covered with bushes 

 and Water Grass. The dry ground has been planted with 

 Pines, a single furrow being plowed for each row of trees. 

 The trees were quite small when transplanted from the bor- 

 ders of a wood lot in Boxford, where the seed had sown 

 itself. The first trees were planted in the spring of 1885, eight 

 to ten feet apart, in furrows ten feet apart ; this first planting 

 only occupied a small part of the lot. The planting was 

 continued during the two or three succeeding years, until the 

 space was all occupied. A comparatively small number of 

 the trees died, and these have been replaced by others. 

 There are now 5,300 trees firmly rooted. The only drawback 

 to the plantation has been the loss of the terminal shoot on 

 many trees, owing to the attacks of a borer. The dead leaders 

 were carefully cut off and the trees soon formed new ones. 



I found that Pines set out as early as the ground can be 

 worked in the spring grow the best, as they have the advan- 

 tage of the spring rains, which are important where the soil is 

 porous and dries up quickly. I have taken much pleasure in 

 watching the growth of these Pines and can recommend tree- 

 planting as a useful recreation. 



Salem, Mass. David PilliTrce. 



Legislation ag-ainst Insects. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — I was much interested in your articles of September 

 28th and December 31st, about "Co-operation against Insect 

 Invasion." But, living in a district wliere the gypsy moths 

 were few, and having suffered not a little from what 1 consid- 

 ered the over-zealous action of our Gypsy Moth Commission, 

 I cannot agree that more law, authorizing unlimited trespass, 

 is the most satisfactory co-operation for us to invoke. We 

 may, in dread of apprehended danger, rob ourselves of liberty 

 and privacy. The conclusion which I have reached is, that, 

 taking your assertion as true that the injury to " our fruit and 

 farm crops " from the ravages of insects may safely be reck- 

 oned as amounting on an average to "a tax often per cent.," 

 trained entomologists should be stimulated to prove their 

 ability, if employed by the farmers, to reduce this average with 

 a profit to themselves and their employers. In short, tlie pro- 

 fession of practical and scientific insect exterminators should 

 be developed and encouraged. Against many sorts of insect 

 invaders, the farmers have neither the education nor means 

 and implements to cope. For instance, to gather effectively 

 from tall trees gypsy moth and other eggs similarly deposited, 

 demands costly ladders and special tackle for which an indi- 

 vidual farmer would have no use on ninety-nine days in one 

 hundred, or one year in a dozen. I would gladly spend a rea- 

 sonable sum yearly on trained help in reducing insect ravages 

 on my own grounds, when I can only imagine that the visits 

 of officials, with no regard to my private plans and purposes. 



